My Bristol Favourites: Miles Arnold

Miles Arnold is a DJ and founder of the Belters record label.

He will be DJing at Bristol24/7’s Ashton Court Mansion takeover party on March 10 alongside acts including Ishmael Ensemble, Grove and Pinch. For tickets, visit hdfst.uk/E85083

When not playing music, Miles is writing about music at Bristol24/7, putting together much of our what’s on content and the weekly Get To Know features.

These are Miles’ top-five Bristol favourites:

Collector Cave

Collector Cave recently moved to Cheltenham Road – photo: Collector Cave

“Admittedly I’ve been less recently (owing to my own personal financial situation) but Collector Cave has been a regular haunt for me since moving to Bristol. One of the only record shops where you can be certain that you’ll find a steal almost every time, I spent much of my student loan there whilst studying, and hope to be able to return to such habits sometime in the near future. They’ve recently moved from their original home in the former Vintage Market on Stokes Croft, and are now on Cheltenham Road where they are neighbours with the Cloak & Dagger. If you’re into your dance music on vinyl, I can’t recommend checking them out enough.”

Mickey Zoggs

https://www.instagram.com/p/CpDMh7LM_gY/?hl=en

“Mickey Zoggs in St Paul’s is a welcoming, cosy watering hole, and also home to the great and powerful Noods Radio. Opening in May 2021, the Surrey Street venue is always seeing DJs, both resident and not, wander through its doors for a cold one. They’re also the host of some fantastic events that run alongside the station, including chess nights, one of Bristol’s most unpredictable pub quizzes, and, of course, plenty of games of poo head.”

Kafka Radio

“Starting in September last year, Kafka has become a home away from home of sorts for me. Whether I’m playing on a show or not, I always feel welcome. Their secret location just up from the arches represents such a wide variety of music with DJs and labels from across the city in a relaxed environment that encourages creativity and free expression.”

The Island

https://www.instagram.com/p/CkGjVepM05i/

“By far and away one of Bristol’s top club spaces. The Island is home to a tunnel, maybe 30 metres long and about six or seven wide. I’ve never not gone there and left feeling like I’ve experienced something special. Whether that’s down to the physical venue itself or the team behind it being exceptionally good when it comes to knowing who to book, it’s easily one of the clubs I get most excited about visiting.

“Aesthetically, it’s also just incredibly cool. Situated underneath the Old Crown Courts off Nelson Street, you’re still able to walk down and enter the old holding cells that prisoners used to be kept in way back when. Some promoters like to fill these rooms on their nights, too, but I particularly enjoy wandering into one with a few mates and killing a half-hour.”

Chilli Daddy

Chilli Daddy began as a market stall and now has three permanent locations – photo: Martin Booth

“The undisputed king of Szechuan Chinese dining in Bristol. I’ve been to Chilli Daddy – with restaurants in St Nick’s Market and on Baldwin Street – multiple times, but the first time I went during my first year of university sticks out in particular. It’s BYOB, and the food is incredibly well priced, and that’s without even mentioning the ginormous portion sizes. You can imagine my skint 18-year-old friends and I had a whale of a time here.”

Main photo: Miles Arnold

Read next:

• Bristol24/7 Ashton Court Mansion Takeover
• Ishmael Ensemble on collaboration, inspiration and blurring the lines
• Get To Know: Collector Cave
• Get To Know: Kafka Radio
• What would every area of Bristol do if they were people at a house party?

Listen to the latest Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast: